BROOMFIELD, Colo. – Wanting to graduate from prospect to true contender, light heavyweight Jon Jones needed a signature career victory on a big stage against a big-name opponent.

The youngster got it – in impressive and dominating fashion – with a skull-rattling elbow strike that set up a first-round TKO victory over Brandon Vera.

The fight capped off UFC on Versus 1, the first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship event to air on Versus, at the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, Colo.

Following an intense staredown at Saturday’s event weigh-ins, it was easy to question the composure of Jones. The 22-year-old fighter went nose to nose with his opponent and forced the intervention of UFC president Dana White. Vera laughed off the exchange, but the blank stare and furled brow of Jones never broke.

However, once in the cage, Jones was all business. He scored a quick and slick takedown and immediately unloaded a steady stream of ground and pound. Jones, in fact, was slowed only by an illegal upkick from Vera, which garnered the former top UFC heavyweight contender a one-point deduction and restart from the downed position.

Jones immediately recommenced the attack after the restart and unloaded a big left elbow strike that clipped the corner of Vera’s right eye with an audible thud. With the area immediately swelling and possible eye-socket damage, Vera was forced to cover up. The TKO stoppage came moments later when the referee waved off the fight at the 3:19 mark of the opening round.

So how did Jones remain so composed in such a pivotal career bout?

“I definitely didn’t take Brandon Vera lightly,” he said. “I studied him day and night. I studied all his footage. I almost I felt as if I knew him before I stepped in here with him.

“I knew he’d be a step up in competition. I trained to the point where I felt I won it before I even stepped in here.”

With the win, Jones moves to 10-1 overall and 4-1 in the UFC. The lone blemish came from a recent fight with Matt Hamill that Jones otherwise dominated. However, a questionable illegal elbow strikes forced a disqualification, and Jones’ appeal ultimately was denied.

Vera, meanwhile, drops to 11-5 (7-5 in the UFC).

In the night’s co-headliner, two powerful Brazilian heavyweights looked to make a case for heavyweight title consideration. And with a crushing left hook that sent opponent Gabriel Gonzaga crashing to the mat, Junior Dos Santos made one hell of a strong argument.

With the recent Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira UFC 110 headliner and the upcoming Frank Mir vs. Shane Carwin UFC 111 interim-title fight stealing most of the attention, Dos Santos vs. Gonzaga was a hidden heavyweight gem of the spring fight season. Determined to make the most of his TV exposure, Dos Santos patiently stood and traded with his opponent until connecting with a vicious left hook that sent Gonzaga crashing to the mat late in the first round.

Although clearly dazed, Gonzaga initially covered up to deflect the subsequent blows, Dos Santos, though, eventually blasted right through the defenses. A quick succession of four to five blows briefly knocked Gonzaga out cold and prompted the referee’s intervention at the 3:53 mark of the round.

“I feel very good because my training was very hard again, and if you guys like to watch good knockouts, I’m here to give them,” Dos Santos said.

In fact, Dos Santos is now a perfect 5-0 in the UFC with five knockouts (four in the first round). The quick ascent up the UFC’s heavyweight ladder improves his overall record to 11-1. Gonzaga, meanwhile, drops to 11-5 (7-4 in the UFC).

In the night’s other main-card heavyweight attraction, perennial contender Cheick Kongo repeatedly – and surprisingly – took Paul Buentello to the one place where the French kickboxer often has the most trouble: the ground. And though a couple bizarre interruptions plagued the fight, they didn’t overshadow what was an otherwise impressive performance for Kongo that ended via third-round TKO.

From the opening bell, Kongo used his powerful strikes to set up all-too-easy takedowns, a strategy nearly every opponent who’s defeated Kongo used against him. Instead, it was Kongo who used the takedowns to unload brutal ground and pound, including jarring knee strikes to the ribs, to slow his opponent. However, soon after escaping an early takedown, Buentello immediately grasped his right hand and screamed in agony.

Referee Herb Dean called a timeout, and it appeared an injury would spell the premature end of the fight. However, commission officials entered the cage and picked at Buentello’s glove as the fighter hunched over in apparent agony. Although not totally clear, it appeared Buentello’s pinkie finger may have been stuck and hyper-extended within the glove. Dean threatened to stop the fight, but Buentello’s finger reappeared, and he immediately dashed to his corner to await the restart.

Unfortunately, no further relief came his way. Kongo dominated the rest of the round and scored additional takedowns in the following and frame. A little overanxious, he delivered an illegal knee to the head before Buentello got to his feet and was docked a point. Soon after, another timeout was called due to an another knee to the head, but Dean didn’t dock a point and told Buentello he “played the game,” meaning he goaded Kongo into the illegal strike by moving in and out of a three-point position. Although clearly winded, Buentello elected to continue immediately after each blow.

Buentello survived and made it to the third round, but Kongo scored another takedown, continued the onslaught, and ultimately forced a kneeling (and obviously exhausted) Buentello to tap out from elbow strikes to the ribs at the 1:16 mark of the final frame.

The victory was a vital one for Kongo (15-6-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who had suffered back-to-back losses to Cain Velasquez and Frank Mir in his two previous bouts. The future of Buentello (28-11 MMA, 3-3 UFC) in the UFC, meanwhile, could be in question. The former top UFC heavyweight contender is 0-2 since rejoining the organization in 2009.

In the night’s first main-card fight – one chosen for a TV spot due more to the fighters’ exciting styles than recent accomplishments – things came to a disappointing end when a perfectly placed punch from Alessio Sakara temporarily blinded opponent James Irvin.

Midway through the first round of the fight, Sakara threw a short left hook, and the second and third knuckles of his closed fist caught Irvin flush in the eye socket. Unable to see, Irvin quickly retreated and dropped to his knees, and referee Josh Rosenthal waved off the bout and intercepted Sakara from continuing the attack.

Irvin immediately complained of an eye poke, and just as quickly, Sakara was steadfast that he threw a closed fist. Multiple replays backed up Sakara’s claims, and with Irvin unable to continue from the perfectly legal (and perfectly placed) blow, Sakara earned the TKO victory.

The stoppage came at 3:01 of the first round. Immediately after the bout, Rosenthal told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that a timeout was never called and that he instantly called for a TKO stoppage to the fight.

“I knew it was a legal blow in live action,” he said. “It was a legit punch (that caught Irvin).”

The unfortunate blow halted what was otherwise shaping up to be an entertaining standup fight. Sakara effectively fired off strikes from different angles while Irvin found success with low kicks and counter punches.

The bout marked Irvin’s middleweight debut after a longtime career at light heavyweight. It also marked his first fight in nearly two years following a loss to UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a 205-pound non-title fight, a subsequent failed drug test, and admitted addiction to painkillers following a slew of injuries. Irvin, who appeared to suffer no serious eye injury, is now 14-6 overall (4-5 UFC).

Sakara, meanwhile, improves to 15-7-1. Additionally, with his third straight win in the octagon, he moves to 6-4 in the UFC.

A total of 26 fighters got their chance to shine on Saturday as part of UFC 190 at Rio de Janeiro’s HSBC Arena. Now that UFC 190 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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